Cultivated for its culinary uses and ornamental garden appeal, Allium schoenoprasum (Chives) is a small bulbous perennial forming a dense clump of thin, narrowly cylindrical, grass-like, dark green leaves. Blooming in late spring to early summer, attractive, pale lavender, rounded umbels are borne on erect stems atop the foliage. Both flowers and leaves are edible. The flowers are perfect in salads, while the leaves are widely used to add mild onion flavor to sauces, stews, mashed vegetables, fish, poultry, egg dishes, and salads. Since their delicate flavor is easily destroyed by heat, add chives during the last few minutes of cooking time, or scatter them on a finished dish to garnish.

• Grows up to 12-18 in. tall and wide (30-45 cm). Will self-seed if spent flower heads are not promptly deadheaded.
• Easy to grow, Chives thrive in fertile, well-drained soils in full sun or light shade. Add grit to clay soils to improve drainage. Chives are drought-tolerant once established.
• Chives are great additions to herb gardens, vegetable gardens, rock gardens, border fronts, or containers.
• Chives attract bees and butterflies, but their strong smell turns away deer.
• Generally pest and disease free. Keep an eye out for onion white rot and downy mildew.
• Cut back after flowering or merely remove dead flower heads.
• Leaves are best harvested by cutting them off down to the base.
• Propagate by seed, or division at any time.
• Chives are much more productive if divided into clumps of at least 10 small bulbs every 3 to 4 years.
• Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses.
• Allium schoenoprasum is native to temperate areas of Europe, Asia, and North America.

Hundreds of Allium species exist, but only a few have made a name for themselves as garden plants. The ornamental onions distinguish themselves by their remarkable diversity in color, inflorescence, and flowering height. Many species bloom in early summer - just after the spring-flowering period and just before the exuberant full bloom of summer. Certain small species are perfect for a rock garden, and several lend themselves to naturalizing. All species can be used in the border.